Removable type and type bar assembly



1963 F. H. CANNY I 3,101,141.

REMOVABLE TYPE AND TYPE BAR ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 18, 1960 FLOYD H. CANNYINVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,101,141 REMOVABLE TYPE AND TYPEBAR ASSEMBLY Floyd H. Canny, Syracuse, N.Y., assignor to SCMCorporation, a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 18, 1960, Ser. No.3,179 Claims. (Cl. 197-36) This invention relates to type bars fortypewrit-ing machines and in particular to type bars having detachableand interchangeable type.

The object of the invention is to provide a detachable type elementwhich, when attached to a type bar, is positively held in alignmentagain-st displacement by the centrifugal or impact forces whichaccompany normal typing operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a detachable type elementwhich is so mounted on the type bar that the width of the type head isnot increased beyond the width of the type face of conventional type.

Another object of the invention is to provide a detachable type elementwhich can be installed or removed quickly and easily by the operatorwithout the need of special tools.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a detachable type andtype bar combination wherein the elements are simple in design,economical to manufacture, and simply assembled.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the appended drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a type barand its associated type element and type-securing devices according tothe present invention;

FIGURE 2. is a top plan view of the parts shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 1, type bar comprises a shank 11 and afiat, outer, striking end or head 12 which mounts a type element ashereinafter described. The remainder of the type bar 10 is not shown butis entirely conventional, being provided with means for its pivotalsupport in a type bar segment and means for swinging the head 12 towarda paper-holding platen in the usual manner of typewriting machines.

The head 12 of type bar 16 is shaped to provide a fiat front edge 13,which serves as an aligning surface, and an adjoining edge portion 14which is preferably slanted inward toward shank 11 of the type bar forreasons which will appear later. The rear edge of the head 12 isprovided with a protruding portion or heel 15. the outer end of frontedge 13, a hole 16 is provided in head 12 through which pin 17 extendsso as to project substantially equidistantly from either side of thehead 12. The pin 17 may be secured in position by swaging both ends ofthe pin to a predetermined size, as best seen in FIGURE 4.

Type element 18 is provided with a face portion 19 having an outersurface 21? which. may carry upper and lower case type 21 of the sameletter in conventional style, foreign language type, special style type,or special characters, as desired. Side portions 22 extend from the faceportion 19 on either side so as to form a channel or slot for receipt ofhead 12. Preferably, as best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4', the externalsurfaces of side portions 22 are slightly tapered inward and rearward,and are provided with a beveled rear edge 23, thereby reducing the widthof element 18 toward the rear.

At the outer end of type element 13, axially-aligned slots 24 areprovided in side portions 22 to receive the Adjacent I and 33,respectively.

3,lhl,14l Patented Aug. 20, 1963 "ice pin 17, as shown, so as to locatethe type element 18 for proper alignment on type bar 10. The inner endof type element 18 is provided with a beveled cam surface 25 extending ashort distance down the inner edges of side portions 22, preferably atan angle of the order of 15 degrees to the normal to surface 20, [forreasons which will hereinafter appear. The remainder of the inner edgeof each side portion 22 may be beveled inwardly as shown at26.

A torsion spring 28 is provided to detachably hold type element 18 inplace on head 12 during operation of the machine. Adjacent the inwardend of head 12, a hole 27 is provided to house the helically-coiledportion 29 of spring 28. As shown in FIGURE 3, coil portion 2? of spring28 fits closely in hole 27 and the ends of the coil terminate in arms 30and 31. Arms .30 and 31 extend along and in contact with the oppositeside surfaces of head 12 and terminate in U-shaped or hooked ends 32 Ann30 extends forward and its end 32 hooks over the slanted edge 14substantially at the junction of that edge with the aligning edge 13.Arm 31 extends to and its end 33 hooks over the rear edge of head 12 ata point on the inner side of the apex of the heel 15. It will now appearthat the arms 30 and 31, aided by the hooked ends 32 and 33, preventlateral displacement of the spring 28 relative to the head 12. Torsionspring 28 is so shaped that when type element 18 is in place on head 12,the hooked end 33 cooperates with heel 15 to anchor the spring, and end32 on arm 30 impinges upon beveled surface 25 to constantly urge theelement 18 outwardly and rearwardly against the pin 17.

When the type element is in attached position, it will be apparent thatthe entire assembly is constructed so as to be no wider than thetypeface 19. During operation of the machine, the releasable spring portionof the device is not placed under extra strain, but the pin 17 serves asan abutment preventing movement of the element 18 under the influence ofthe centrifugal forces generated when the type bar is swung from itsrest position to the printing point. During impact of the type elementagainst the platen, the type element is held firmly by abutment withedge 13.

The operation of the above-described parts in removing and replacingtype elements 11 will be apparent. The operator grasps the type element13 between thumb and forefinger and exerts pressure to the left anddownward as viewed in FIGURE 1. The end 32 of spring arm 30 is camrneddownward by the beveled surface 25, free movernent of the spring beinginsured by the provision of slanted edge 14 adjoining the bottom of edge13. The downward movement of type element 18 removes the latter fromengagement with the pin 17, and element 18 may then be withdrawn to theleft and replaced by another element.

In replacing the element .18, the operator grasps it between thumb andforefinger, as before, and slides the inward end of the element onto thetype bar 10- with sides 22 on either side of the head '12. To allow thepin 17 to enter slots 24, the operator must exert pressure downwardagainst arm 30 of spring 28 by pushing the element 18 downward, and thenthe element 18 may be moved to the right until the slots 24- are alignedwith the pin '17. Type element 18 is then pressed first upward, and thento the right, as viewed in FIGURE 1, by the spring arm 30 or by theoperator, to seat the face 19 firmly against the aligning edge 13 andthe pin 17 in the slots 24. In this position, the pin 17 serves as atype-locating fixed abutment which, in cooperation with the slots 24,aids aligning edge 13 in positioning the type in correct alignment onthe type bar 10. The engagement of the end 32 of torsion spring 28 withbeveled cam surface 25 forces and holds the type element 18 inengagement with the pin. 17

and against the aligning edge 13 of head 12. It has been found that theinclination of the surface 25 at a comparatively small acute angle tothe normal to the type-carrying surface 29 is sufi'icient in practice tofirmly secure type element 18 against the aligning edge 13 withoutmaking it difiicult to remove and replace the type element.

Each of the elements of my detachable-type type bar is simply andeconomically manufactured. The pin-andslot positioning abutment iseconomically made and may be easily and precisely located. The torsionspring 23 is easily installed in its precisely-located hole 27, isselfsecuring with respect to the type bar and does not extend from theopposite faces of the type bar beyond the type element 18. The assembledelements are light and strong.

While there is herein described, and in the drawing shown, anillustrative embodiment of the invention, other constructions,arrangement of parts, details and features may be comprehended in theinvention, and I desire to be limited, therefore, only by the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A type bar assembly for typewriting machines having detachable typecomprising, in combination, a type bar member having a shank and anouter striking head shaped to provide a type-aligning edge, a protrudingtypelocating abutment fired on said striking head adjacent the end ofsaid edge remote from said shank, a type element mounted on said headabutting said edge and having portions flanking the opposite faces ofsaid striking head, the end of said element remote [from said type barmember shank having a locating portion for detachable engagement withsaid abutment and the other end of said element having a beveledsurface, and spring means secured to said member and biased to urge saidtype element toward engagement with said member by cooperativeengagement with said surface.

2. A type bar assembly for typewriting machines having detachable typecomprising, in combination, a type bar member having an outer strikinghead adapted to provide a type aligning edge, a protruding type locatingabutment on said striking head adjacent one end of said edge, a typeelement mounted on said head abutting said edge and having portionsflanking the opposite faces of said striking head, one end of saidelement having a locating portion for detachable engagement with saidabutment and the other end of said element having a beveled surface, andspring means secured to said member and biased to urge said type elementtoward engagement with said member by cooperative engagement with saidsurface, said spring means comprising a torsion spring havinga centralcoil portion lying in a hole provided in said type bar member, saidspring having arm portions extending from either end of said coilportion flanking the opposite faces of said member, one of said armportions being adapted for engagement with a portion of said member andthe other arm portion being adapted to engage the beveled surface ofsaid type element.

3. A detachable-type type bar for typewriting machines comprising, incombination, a type bar member having a shankand a flat outer strikinghead shaped to provide a type-aligning edge and carrying a type-locatingpin secured thereto, said pin projecting from the opposite facesthereof, a type element fitting over said edge and having portionsflanking the opposite faces of said striking head, the end of saidelement remote from said type bar member shank being slotted fordetachable engagement with said locating pin, the other end of saidelement having a surface beveled at an acute angle to the plane normalto the type-carrying face of said element; and spring means secured tosaid member and adapted to engage said beveled surface, whereby saidtype element is secured in spring-biased engagement with said locatingpin and with said edge.

4. A detachable-type type bar for typewriting machines comprising, incombination, a type bar member having a flat outer striking head shapedto provide a type aligning edge and carrying a type locating pin securedthereto, said pin projecting from the opposite faces thereof, a typeelement fitting over said edge and having portions flanking the oppositefaces of said striking head, one end of said element being slotted fordetachable engagement with said locating pin, the other end of saidelement having a surface beveled at an acute angle to the plane normalto the type carrying face of said element; and spring means secured tosaid member and adapted to engage said beveled surface, whereby saidtype element is secured in spring biased engagement with said locatingpin and with said edge, said type bar member having a hole therethroughand said spring means comprising a torsion spring having a central coilportion lying in said hole and having arm portions extending from eitherend 'of said coil portion flanking the opposite faces of said member,whereby said coil portion is secured in said hole, one of said armportions having a hooked end for engagement with an edge of said memberand the other arm portion having a portion adapted to engage the beveledsurface of said type element, whereby said element is spring-biased bothtoward said locating pin and toward said type aligning edge.

5. A type bar assembly having detachable type comprising, incombination, a type bar member having a flat outer striking head shapedto provide a type-aligning edge and an oppositely protruding heelportion, a type-locating pin secured to said member and projecting fromthe opposite faces thereof adjacent the outer end of said edge, a typeelement fitting over said edge and having side portions flanking theopposite faces of said striking head, the outer end of said elementhaving aligned slots in said side portions for engagement with saidlocating pin, the inner end of said element having a surface beveled atan acute angle to the plane normal to the type-carrying face of saidelement, said member having a cylindrical hole therethrough, and atorsion spring having a central helically-coiled portion lying withinand closely fitting said hole and having arm portions extending fromeither end of said coiled portion and flanking the opposite faces of thestriking end of said member, one of said arm portions having a hookedend for engagement with the protruding heel portion of said member andtheother arm portion having a hooked end portion adapted to engage thebeveled surface of said type element and to hook over the type barmember, said spring being biased to urge said element into engagementwith said locating pin and said edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A TYPE BAR ASSEMBLY FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINE HAVING DETACHABLE TYPECOMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A TYPE BAR MEMBER HAVING A SHANK AND ANOUTER STRIKING HEAD SHAPED TO PROVIDE A TYPE-ALIGNING EDGE, A PROTRUDINGTYPELOCATING ABUTMENT FIXED ON SAID STRIKING HEAD ADJACENT THE END OFSAID EDGE REMOTE FROM SAID SHANK, A TYPE ELEMENT MOUNTED ON SAID HEADABUTTING SAID EDGE AND HAVING PORTIONS FLANKING THE OPPOSITE FACES OFSAID STRIKING HEAD, THE END OF SAID ELEMENT REMOTE FROM SAID TYPE BARMEMBER SHANK HAVING A LOCATING PORTION FOR DETACHABLE ENGAGEMENT WITHSAID ABUTMENT AND THE OTHER END OF SAID ELEMENT HAVING A BEVELEDSURFACE, AND SPRING MEANS SECURED TO SAID MEMBER AND BIASED TO URGEDSAID TYPE ELEMENT TOWARD ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MEMBER BY COOPERATIVEENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SURFACE.